VACUUM CLEANER WITH HAIR COLLECTION ELEMENT

• US 20150297049A1
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Inventors: Moyher, George Jr., Butkiewicz, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 9,713,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/006 formed by winding a strip tuft in a helix about the body
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 25/08 Pads or the like for cleaning clothes using adhesive surfaces A47L25/005
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0066 adapted for removing nail dust, hair or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0422 driven by the rotation of the supporting wheels on which the nozzle travels over the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0433 Toothed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0466 Rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/06 with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0613 with means specially adapted for picking up threads, hair or the like, e.g. brushes, combs, lint pickers or bristles pads
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0633 with retractable brushes, combs, lips or pads
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0653 with mechanical actuation, e.g. using a lever
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0666 with tilting, floating or similarly arranged brushes, combs, lips or pads

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner comprises a cleaning head having a suction nozzle adapted to be moved along a surface to be cleaned, and a hair collection assembly carried by the cleaning head and having a hair collection element adapted to collect hair from the surface to be cleaned as the cleaning head moves along the surface to be cleaned.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaning head having a suction nozzle adapted to be moved along a surface to be cleaned in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction; and

a hair collection assembly provided on the cleaning head and adapted to collect hair from the surface to be cleaned as the cleaning head moves along the surface to be cleaned, the hair collection assembly comprising;

a hair collection element adapted to collect hair from the surface to be cleaned;

a mounting assembly for mounting the hair collection element on the cleaning head, wherein the mounting assembly is pivotally coupled to the cleaning head for movement of the hair collection element between a use position in which the hair collection element is in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and a non-use position, in which the hair collection element is spaced from the surface to be cleaned; and

a rotatable coupling between the hair collection element and the mounting assembly, such that the hair collection element can rotate relative to the mounting assembly between a first orientation and a second orientation when the hair collection element is in the use position;

wherein the hair collection element is configured to engage the surface to be cleaned to collect hair when the cleaning head is moved along the surface to be cleaned in the first direction and the hair collection element is in the first orientation; and

wherein the hair collection element is configured to glide over the surface to be cleaned to release collected hair when the cleaning head is moved along the surface to be cleaned in the second direction and the hair collection element is in the second orientation.

2. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection element is positioned exteriorly of the cleaning head.

3. The vacuum cleaner from claim 2, wherein the mounting assembly is positioned exteriorly of the cleaning head.

4. The vacuum cleaner from claim 2, wherein the hair collection element extends substantially across the width of a front portion of the cleaning head.

5. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection element comprises plurality of projections in contact with the surface to be cleaned when the hair collection element is in the use position, and wherein the projections are configured to frictionally engage the surface to be cleaned when the cleaning head is moved along the surface to be cleaned in the first and second directions to rotate the hair collection element between the first and second orientations.

6. The vacuum cleaner from claim 5, wherein the hair collection element comprises a curved face and the projections extend from the curved face.

7. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection element comprises a bumper, and the mounting assembly is pivotally coupled to a front portion of the cleaning head, such that in the non-use position the bumper covers the front portion of the cleaning head.

8. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection element extends substantially across the width of a front portion of the cleaning head.

9. The vacuum cleaner from claim 8, wherein the hair collection element comprises an elongated support and a plurality of spaced projections depending from the support.

10. The vacuum cleaner from claim 9, wherein the plurality of spaced projections are formed of an elastomeric material.

11. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the cleaning head comprises a housing having an agitator chamber formed at a forward portion thereof.

12. The vacuum cleaner from claim 11, wherein the suction nozzle is formed at a lower portion of the agitator chamber.

13. The vacuum cleaner from claim 12, wherein, in the use position, the hair collection element is positioned forwardly of the suction nozzle.

14. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein, in the use position, the hair collection element is positioned forwardly of the suction nozzle.

15. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the mounting assembly comprises a bracket that is pivotally coupled with the cleaning head by a first pivot coupling.

16. The vacuum cleaner from claim 15, wherein the rotatable coupling between the hair collection element and the mounting assembly comprises a second pivot coupling between the hair collection element and the bracket.

17. The vacuum cleaner from claim 15, wherein the cleaning head comprises a housing having an agitator chamber formed at a forward portion thereof, and the bracket that is pivotally coupled with a front surface of the agitator chamber by the first pivot coupling.

18. The vacuum cleaner from claim 17, wherein the bracket rests against the agitator chamber in the non-use position.

19. The vacuum cleaner from claim 18, wherein the hair collection element comprises a bumper, and the bumper covers the front surface of the agitator chamber in the non-use position.

20. The vacuum cleaner from claim 19, wherein the bumper is formed of an elastomeric material.